Everyone believes "their" markets are the "coolest" collectible toy markets, but most fingers point to vintage Hot Wheels, vintage Transformers, vintage Star Wars, and vintage Pez. Out of all of these, Star Wars vintage toys are arguably among the most valuable individually, though with the many Pez prototypes and variations available, Pez are probably more valuable in aggregate.
In the late 70's, Kenner produced the original line of 12 Star Wars figures, and this entire line is extremely desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each netting more than $2,000 if in their original packaging and in great condition. The most valuable Star Wars toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who appeared in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix fetches well over $6,000 if in good shape.
Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. As an example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars toys in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only manufactured about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, plus the fact that the Canadian releases were printed with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars figures.
Another interesting collectible item available, but incredibly difficult to find, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished products are relatively common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much more rare in the Star Wars market.
While many current Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a rush of new licenses released, these newer toys will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage figures attained. For example, a new release features Star Wars toys that morph from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are hot right now, but supply is also high, removing one of the valuation factors from the equation.
There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese toy lines being very unique, and therefore, highly desirable and very collectible. European toys are also popular and regularly confused with Canadian releases, due to their bilingual packaging. The easiest way to tell these releases apart is by viewing the address on the package, which will clearly indicate the country of origin.
With Star Wars toys, you have an excellent movie franchise, a devoted fan base, opportunities to locate unique figures, and much heavier demand than supply. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their valuations for the long haul.
So dig in your attic, uncover that old AT-AT Walker or Landspeeder, and see if you have a collectible on your hands! - 15431
In the late 70's, Kenner produced the original line of 12 Star Wars figures, and this entire line is extremely desirable to Star Wars enthusiasts, each netting more than $2,000 if in their original packaging and in great condition. The most valuable Star Wars toy is argued to be Vlix, a short-lived character who appeared in a Braziliam cartoon. Vlix fetches well over $6,000 if in good shape.
Contributing to the valuation of these figures is the exclusivity of the license. As an example, Kenner Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario, was the Canadian licensee for Star Wars toys in Canada from 1977 until 1985, but only manufactured about ten percent of the figures at that time. That, plus the fact that the Canadian releases were printed with bilingual packaging, adds a unique twist to those interested in the collectible value of Star Wars figures.
Another interesting collectible item available, but incredibly difficult to find, are figure prototypes. Prototypes and unfinished products are relatively common in other markets, e.g. the collectible Pez market, but much more rare in the Star Wars market.
While many current Star Wars fans are young, and because there has been a rush of new licenses released, these newer toys will likely never attain the valuations that existing vintage figures attained. For example, a new release features Star Wars toys that morph from characters like Darth Vader into objects like the Death Star. These Transformers figures mashups are hot right now, but supply is also high, removing one of the valuation factors from the equation.
There are also other foreign releases, with the Japanese toy lines being very unique, and therefore, highly desirable and very collectible. European toys are also popular and regularly confused with Canadian releases, due to their bilingual packaging. The easiest way to tell these releases apart is by viewing the address on the package, which will clearly indicate the country of origin.
With Star Wars toys, you have an excellent movie franchise, a devoted fan base, opportunities to locate unique figures, and much heavier demand than supply. These factors combine to lead many professional collectors to believe that Star Wars vintage action figures will retain their valuations for the long haul.
So dig in your attic, uncover that old AT-AT Walker or Landspeeder, and see if you have a collectible on your hands! - 15431
About the Author:
Jared is a proud collector of Star Wars vintage action figures, Pez, and Transformers. He has been obsessing over the Star Wars franchise ever since he received his first Landspeeder for Christmas nearly 30 years ago. He blogs about his collections on his Star Wars and Transformers figures blogs.
